


How I loved you

by Theljiljka



Category: Dishonored (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-02
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-02-27 21:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2707589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theljiljka/pseuds/Theljiljka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Let me tell you, dear reader, about happier times. Let me tell you about Jessamine Kaldwin, the Empress-to-be, and Corvo Attano, her Lord Protector. Let me tell you about the day they met, about the (mis)adventures they kept on getting themselves into, and how they fell in love. Let me tell you, about the most infamous affair in the Empire, and how much more there was to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meetings and Greetings

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking your time to read this. I sincerely hope you like it! Also, if you don’t mind, could you drop a review/kudos? They keep me motivated to write and I’d be more than thankful! Anyway, here is the story! Enjoy!

The young man was lying down in his quarters, staring at the cold, metal ceiling above him. He would be in the great city of Dunwall within the hour, and if it was the seasickness or the nervousness the was causing the tight notch in his stomach, he couldn’t tell.

The Emperor's Personal Guard. The words were toying with his head. He still couldn’t believe that he was serving under the Duke of Serkonos, but being a protector of the future Empress? It was all too much for him. ‘It’s not that different from being an assassin, really’  The Duke told him ‘You’re still killing people’

The words, of course, were far from comforting. He didn’t want to leave home, but there wasn’t another option. He was certain that a man- no, an assassin - like him wouldn’t have even been considered for the role if it wasn’t for the way the Empire was practically falling apart. Emperor Euhorn had somehow managed to tie it all back together, and to ensure that Serkonos, the richest part of the Empire stayed, he agreed when the Duke suggested that he send his personal assassin(He didn’t tell the Emperor that Corvo was an assassin, of course) to guard his daughter, as a way of showing that the people of Serkonos were trusted. The Emperor was understandably hesitant, but it was better than yet another war.

 

Still, the Emperor had enough sense to insist he meet Corvo first. They spoke for half an hour when the Emperor visited Serkonos, and when Euhorn decided that Corvo would do, the Duke had him on a boat for Dunwall two days later.

 

A few sharp raps on the door brought Corvo out of his thoughts.

“Yes?” He jolted upwards

“Sir, we should be at Dunwall Tower in less than an hour,” the voice spoke, “Duke Ariano requests that you meet him in his quarters.”

Corvo put his feet on the wooden floor. “Tell him I’ll be there soon.”, he said, trying to not sound tired.

“Of course, Sir”

He pulled himself out of bed, put on his clothes, brushed his teeth and combed his hair within fifteen minutes. Getting ready quickly was a skill he acquired when he started living with the Duke. Sometimes Ariano would have a guard wake Corvo up in the middle of the night and have him attend a party because someone that had done him wrong would be there, and they ‘needed taking care of’.

 

The man had a way with words.

 

He heaved opened the heavy metal door and made his way to the Duke’s chamber. No doubt Ariano was eager to lecture Corvo how to behave, as if he hadn’t spent the last few years doing exactly that. For someone that was almost never sober, he had quite a bonton set out for everyone around him. Still, there was something about him Corvo liked. Maybe it was just that- they way the man almost never cared about anything as long as there were cigars and whiskey within reach. More than once, the man had told Corvo to “Shut the fuck up and have a goddamn drink” when Corvo would ramble on about a previous mission, or worry about a conspiracy against the Duke.

He felt that he needed someone like him in his life.

 

Two guards waited for Corvo in front of an oak door lined with gold. They were dressed, as always, in expensive clothing that no guard should have to wear. They opened it and let Corvo in without saying a word.

 

The room was covered in smoke so thick, the young man almost choked. He’d gotten used to the way the Duke always had a cigar in his mouth, but in a small room without any windows, it was borderline unbearable. The sharp smell of whiskey only added to the charm. The fat man at the end of the room, however, didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Well, well, well, you got here fast”, Ariano chuckled. Another puff of smoke curled through his yellow teeth, past his lips and wove its way into his grayish beard. The man leaned back in his leather chair and put both feet on the table in front of him. “Sit down”

Corvo made is way to the chair in front of him, observing his Master as he did so. The Duke was dressed in a purple-yellow striped silk shirt that was so small on him he was surprised how the buttons didn’t burst. Over that he wore a coat of the same purple hue, and pants that were rolled up to his ankles. The gold chains, bracelets and rings that covered his ebony skin made him look even more ridiculous. The man looked like he was leading a circus show, and not going to see the Emperor.

He poured Corvo two fingers of whiskey and slid it across the the table to him.

“No thanks,” Corvo politely declined, pushing the glass away from him “I’d prefer to stay sober today”

“Whatever you want,” The Duke said, unamused, before taking a swig from his. He slammed the glass on the table, causing it to make a clunk sound that echoed throughout the room. He then let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temple. The atmosphere in the room quickly shifted.

 

“You know how big this is, right?”

 

Corvo let out a forced, somewhat painful smile “I wouldn’t have been losing sleep over it if it wasn’t”

“Kid,” He put out his cigar and pulled another from his coat pocket, “You’re going to become a part of the Emperor's personal guard. You know when this has happened before? Someone not from that damned Gristol protecting the Emperor? Here’s a hint: never” he spat out, his voice somewhat threatening.

Corvo squirmed in his seat.“I won’t disappoint you.” he burst out, then bit his tongue. By the look of the Duke’s expression, he should have just shut up.

“I know you won’t.” Ariano said. He pressed his lips into a thin line before continuing, “Just know you shouldn’t be taking this lightly. Everyone thinks Serkonos is full of nothing but merchants and whores, and you’ve been given one hell of a chance to prove ‘em wrong. You’re presenting us all, Corvo, just don’t fuck around.”

Corvo sunk in his seat and silently nodded. He’d never seen the Duke so serious in his life. There’s a first time for everything, I suppose.

 

** XxXxX **

__

Jessamine sat next to her father, trying to contain her excitement. She had already choked him with questions, all of which he had failed to answer. “You shall see for yourself soon enough, little dove”, he told her calmly as always. Why wouldn’t he just tell her?  She shuffled in her seat, trying to loosen her corset that had been tied a bit too tight.

Next to her overwhelming eagerness, she also felt a pang of nervousness. Until today, she hadn’t had her own protector. Rather, her father’s protector, Jax, had taken care of both of them. Despite being around him her entire life, she hadn’t known him to well. He wasn’t cold, no, but he was quite the dark horse. Besides that he was obedient and that he liked chocolate (she had found this out when she gave him a box as a gift for finding her cat), she knew nothing about him. Then again, it didn’t bother her too much. He was nice to her, and that was all that mattered, right?

 

Suddenly, the sound of drums, followed by trumpets and other instruments Jessamine couldn’t name filled the air with a concoction of serious and playful notes. Within seconds, she saw them slowly exiting the waterlock.

 

First, the Duke’s guards came out. They all had dark hair, combed back with oil and smooth ebony skin that contrasted their bright suits. The men’s broad shoulders and tall build allowed them to tower over almost all the Girstol guards, making them look borderline pathetic in comparison. They aligned themselves in a perfect line around the courtyard, all of them walking in perfect synchronization with the beat of the drums. Which one of them could be my new protector?

Jessamines guessing  was interrupted when her eyes averted themselves to the dancers. The women were almost as tall as the men, all having matching long legs and strangely braided hair. They wore golden jewelry and vibrant-colored clothing that tugged at their full hips as they swayed back and forth, their arms flowing around them like a summer’s breeze. Jessamine felt hypnotised as she watched them move with unmatched elegance, each of them as beautiful as a nightingale’s song.

Next, the gifts. Opened chests revealed the pounds and pounds of jewels and gold inside them, as bags of spices released piquant smells that nipped at Jessamine’s nose. All sorts of gifts, from diamonds to strange foods filled the courtyard. She suddenly really, really liked Serkonos.

 

Finally, a short, chubby man walked into the courtyard. The Duke of Serkonos! A voiced announced. The fat man had tried to walk elegantly, yet horribly failed and ended up looking like a duck waddling on ice. He didn’t interest her at all, however, the young man behind him did.

 

He looked so strange. Most of the people barely wore enough clothing to cover themselves, yet a dark outfit covered his ivory skin from his shoulders to his feet. His night-like hair tickled at his jaw, barely passing it, softly cloaking his cheeks. Jessamine could describe for days about what made him stand out, but his most fascinating feature were his ice-colored eyes. When they glanced up at her-or was it her father?- for a brief moment, she felt a chill run down her spine. She didn’t even know him, and already he scared her.

 

Yet somehow, he interested her beyond words.

  
  



	2. No reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of Chapter one, I guess there isn't much more to say. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support! Like all the writers here I love to know when people enjoy my work, so when you leave a comment or a kudos it really gives me motivation to write more. Thanks again!  
> Anyway, on to the story!

Jessamine hid behind Jax’s large red robes as the Duke and her father spoke. There was something about her father that was always so… charming might be the word? You could roll him in mud and dress him in rags and the man's green eyes would hypnotize you and his voice would still let out vibes of authority and grace. Despite the Dukes richer clothing and tons of jewelry, he somehow looked small and modest next to the great Emperor Euhorn.  
She, however, kept her eyes locked on Corvo. She caught him throwing a glance at her once, but he quickly averted his ice-like eyes away from her and acted as if nothing happened. 

Rather, he allowed his eyes to wander all over the courtyard and fought the urge to ask the Duke to explore it. Dark green bushes dotted with small pastel-colored flowers laced all the walkways of the courtyard, giving it an elegant feeling that was somewhat, well, alien. Serkonos architecture was quite different; gardens were rare (there wasn’t a need, vegetation was everywhere), and buildings usually weren’t very tall- even the Duke’s home was only 3 floors up. The needle-like buildings of Dunwall only added to his fascination. Dunwall tower might have not been the prettiest structure he’d ever seen (it’s white walls looked rather plain in comparison to the bright, almost painful colors of Serkonos) but it was undoubtedly the biggest, and after spending a week on a ship, he felt like he needed to move around for a bit.

Euhorn had informed the Duke about the feast he had arranged to welcome him, to which the Duke did his best to sound overjoyed (as if he didn’t eat twice his weight in a day already). They then spoke a bit more about things Corvo was too absent to worry about, and only when his name was mentioned was he pulled out of his thoughts  
“I shall have one of my guards escort Corvo to his chambers, now. I’d like him to join us tonight, though” Euhorn spoke, his voice as thick and as sweet as honey. “If that’s alright, of course.”  
He spoke to the dark-haired but the Duke answered in his place, “Of course, of course! Not a problem at all!”. The Emperor payed no attention to the chubby man, but rather, waited for Corvo’s wordless nod before signaling someone over.  
Only then did he avert his attention back to the Duke, “Now, If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue our conversation in my study”

\------

Corvo paced around his room like an animal in a cage, waiting for something, anything, to happen. Dunwall was so strange to him, yet somehow...comfortable. Almost all the men had shaven faces, none of the women wore clothing that showed off their stomach, and everyone always had shoes on. It was so peaceful compared to Serkanos. No one was drunk, manners were law and everyone knew their place.  
Simple was the best word for it. From the food to the architecture to the people- rarely were things over the top. He liked it, even though it was a bit, well, boring.

He then let himself wonder what being the Lord Protector would be like. Did the Emperor have many assassination attempts? Or was having a Lord Protector more of a formality to scare off potential assassins? Dunwall was very well guarded, it seemed borderline impossible for someone to get in without being noticed. Anyway, he hoped his job would at least be a bit exciting, though it was doubtful. Protecting a 14 year old girl didn’t seem like too much trouble, even if she was to be the Empress.  
He knew it might take a bit of time to adjust to his new life. After all, just over a week ago he was running assassination contracts for the Duke. Maybe a life with a bit less excitement would be best for him.

Maybe.

He couldn’t take being in the room anymore. He needed some fresh air, and the small terrace just wouldn’t cut it. He could get away until tonight. The Duke was probably too busy talking with Euhorn to look for him, anyway. Where could he go? Maybe find the barracks, they were bound to have training grounds somewhere. Perhaps he could spar with someone? Even though risky, the idea seemed as good as any, and before he could convince himself otherwise, he was out the door.  
-  
Finding the barracks wasn’t as hard as he thought. Not wanting to ask anyone for directions simply because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, Corvo easily tailed a few guards from afar, careful to not lose them around corners and stairwells. A right here, a left there, and before he knew it, he had reached a ring aligned with a wooden fence, in which pairs of soldiers were already batting steel at each other.  
He carefully approached the ring, taking his time to observe them. They fought differently than Corvo had been taught, clumsily swinging their swords around, worrying about how much force they could throw into a hit, rather than how they hit their opponent. It felt almost embarrassing to watch. Personal experience told him that moving quickly and using your opponent's strength against them was the most efficient way to bring a man down. They didn’t seem to realize that it didn’t matter if you hit your target with force, if it was somewhere tough like the shoulder. However, a short swing to a more sensitive spot as the stomach, or perhaps a bat to the face could very well determine who walked out as a victor.

Corvo watched them inelegantly move back and forth for a while before he feeling the weight of a rather large palm on his shoulder. He turned around and widened his eyes at the wall of a man that had just shown up behind him.  
After his size, the first thing Corvo noticed was his thick beard- something that he hadn’t seen a single man from Gristol wear yet. His bulging nose was decorated with a golden ring and his thick eyebrows only added to his brute-like look.  
“Corvel, was it?” he asked, his stern, somewhat unamused attitude perfectly fitting his looks.  
“Corvo, actually.” The man was undoubtedly the same one that stood by Euhorn during the ceremony. Was he the Royal Protector? “I don’t think I’ve caught yours”, he asked, trying to sound as formal as he could.  
“Jax,”, he said coldly, “pleased to meet you, Corlo.”  
Close enough  
“Tell me,” he continued, “What are you doing here?”  
Damn it.  
“Well,” Corvo started, trying to sound as innocent as possible, “I decided I’d like to see a bit of the Tower,” he offered, “I needed some fresh air, really”  
Jax nodded in reply, giving an expressionless stare. Shouldn’t he be with the Emperor now, and not here? Then again, Corvo could ask himself the same question.  
The pair watched the fight in silence for a while, but Jax broke it rather quickly. “I suppose you won’t be doing anything until tonight, right?”  
The Serkonian raised his brow, “I don’t imagine I will”  
“Care for a match, then?” he asked casually, and without giving Corvo time to protest, picked up two blunt swords from the rack. He wiped the dirt off of the blades and headed into the ring, tossing one to Corvo as if it was a rag. Corvo followed him into the ring, and before long, they had already taken their positions.  
“So,” Jax grunted as he threw the first hit to Corvo’s side, “How long have you served the Duke?”  
Corvo jumped back and repositioned himself, taken aback by his directness. “A few years I suppose, why?” He circled around Jax, enjoying the spar while he could.  
“I’d like to know a bit about the man that’s going to protect our Empress for the rest of his life,” Jax threw his sword, slamming it with Corvo’s, before twisting it and almost landing a punch in his gut.  
Corvo rolled to the side and tried to trip the brute, but only caused him to stumble a bit. It was to be announced tonight at the party - on earth did he find out about that? Not even Jessamine knew. Perhaps he overheard the Emperor talking to someone? “Fair enough.” The dark-haired man grunted, “What else would you like to know?”  
Jax swung his huge palm, catching Corvo by his robe and pulling him closer, “How on earth did they convince the Emperor to let someone from Serkonos protect the future hier?” his voice snapped and hissed at Corvo’s ears. He threw him to the side like a ragdoll, but luckily, Corvo managed to land on his feet, pushing the dust-like dirt back with him. The sudden change in atmosphere was rather unwelcoming  
“Does it matter where I’m from?” He said, trying to hit Jax from the side. The Protector caught Corvo’s sword with his own and twisted it upwards, until their blades formed a perfect ‘X’ and their faces were mere inches from each other.

“I’d imagine it does” he spat out through gritted teeth

Jax pushed will all his force, landing Corvo on his back. He lifted up his sword and swung it with all his might down onto the smaller man, and he would have broken a bone had Corvo not rolled to his side and and jumped back on his feet. In a few swifts movements, he hit the barbarian in the back of his knees, then twisted around and elbowed him in the stomach before finally focusing a punch to his chin. The large man stumbled back, and Corvo used the opportunity to land the handle of the sword to his nose. The brute fell down with a thump, signifying Corvo’s victory.

He wasn’t just done yet

He walked over to Jax(who was now covering his bloody nose with a hand), and placed the tip of the sword to his throat.  
“Best someone from Serkonos protect her than someone like you.” Corvo spat at him, looking him in the eye. Compressing his anger and ignoring all the stares of the soldiers around him, he left the ring without saying another word.

\------

 

Jessamine sat in front of her bedroom mirror, watching her personal maid and close friend Ellia braid her hair. The brunette was assigned to her less than a year ago, and the two were almost inseparable since, despite Jessamine being told again and again that an Empress should have friends with higher social statuses. Why did it matter? Was she supposed to be friends with mean upper-class girls that only cared about their dresses? Should she only like rich boys that would cry to their fathers if anyone so as looked at them wrong? Even though they seldom had time to talk, Ellia meant so much to her. She liked her accent, her joyfulness, the way she always knew what to say. She even liked how she was two years older than her-it was nice having a friend that doubled as an older sister, after all.

“Were you there when the Serkonians came?”  
“I only saw a bit fr’m the servant’s quarters” Ellia said, quickly and elegantly intertwining hair with her short fingers, “I was quite impressed though. Love it if they’d stay a bit, quite a jolly bunch they are”  
The younger girl agreed. A moment of silence covered the room, before Jessamine spoke up once more,  
“Did you see the fellow that was with the Duke?”  
Ellia raised her eyebrows, “‘Course Jess, man stood out like a sore thumb. Why do you s’pose he’s ‘ere?”  
“Can’t say,” she slumped her shoulders, “My dad was looking at him funny”  
“Stay still Jess, I can’t be doing your ‘air if you’re squirmin’ all the time. But yeah, ‘course he was, after all, he was followin’ the Duke, right?.” Ellia said without a care, “Why’d you asking?”

“No reason, I guess.” 

Soon after, she wondered why she was asking, too.


	3. Cups of Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She didn't expect this. He didn't mind.

Jessamine didn’t like parties. Being expected to sit in the same seat for hours, legs crossed, back straight and chin up, just like a lady should sit, almost never allowed to leave her seat just wasn’t fun for her. Oh, how she envied all the other women who got to sing and dance freely to their favorite songs, wear flat shoes, try every food twice, talk to all the other visitors and then leave whenever they pleased! She, of course had tried to sneak away once, and that ended horribly to say the least

Still, she could get through all that, but what bothered her the most were the guests. When they were done saying their half-hearted ‘hello’ to her, they would completely ignore her and focus on her father, acting as if she didn’t exist. Why did they always do that? It frustrated her so much! She was the future Empress- their future Empress. She didn’t need them to pour her with compliments, kisses and gifts, but couldn’t they at least acknowledge her existence?

 

Of course not. They were too proud to pay attention to a little girl. She disliked almost all of them.

 

Still, she was convinced that this party would be different. After all, most of the guests would be from Serkonos, so they had to be different, right? They seemed nice enough, maybe she could even make a friend. Oh, that would be great!

She then wondered how many people would be there. All her father’s friends, plus their families, plus all the other rich families, plus all the Serokonians- the Duke must have brought half the island with him! - plus all the entertainers and servants. Goodness, could they even fit so many people in the ballroom? Maybe they’d also open the entrance to the huge terrace. No, maybe not, it’s cold this time of year. The guests would throw a fit! Maybe they’d let them wander around the entire tower? That would be-

 

_**Knock knock knock** _

 

Jessamine jerked her hand, almost spilling hot tea into her lap. Who could be looking for her now? Maybe Ellia had managed to slip away from her duties and decided to join her? Maybe her father wanted to ask her something? She turned her head towards the door, preparing a smile for whoever it may be.

 

“Come in, please.”

 

Now, out of all the people she expected to be there, he was definitely the last

 

“Excuse me, my Lady, I hope I’m not bothering you?”  

 

She couldn’t force herself to answer right away. Dark hair, ice blue eyes-Corvo? What was he doing here? She couldn’t say she minded it- quite the opposite, she was glad he was here- but she couldn’t deny it was, well...weird. Jessamine stared at him for a moment before finally remembering that he was waiting for her answer.

“Uh... No, not at all,” Jessamine said, trying to not sound flustered and failing miserably, “Please, come in”

He nodded in return, carefully closing the door behind him.

“His Imperial Majesty asked that I give you this”, Corvo said, wasting no time to pull out a crisp white envelope from his coat pocket and hand it to Jessamine.

She took it with great curiosity, holding it as if it was as fragile as thin glass. Her father rarely wrote her letters when he was on the other side of the Isles, why write to her now? And if that wasn’t strange enough, why send Corvo to deliver it? She was just about to break the blood-red wax seal when Corvo stopped her;

“My apologies, he has asked that you wait until the party tonight to open it.”

Wait, what? The party? What on earth for? She didn’t bother asking Corvo, she knew it would be pointless. Her father either hadn’t told him, or asked him to act as if he hadn’t. She frowned in frustration, putting the letter on her table with a huff.

 

The Serokonian, on the other hand,couldn’t help but grin when he saw her child-like pout.

“My apologies for disturbing you, my Lady.” He said, giving her a shallow, yet respectful bow. “I’ll be going now”.

She watched him turn around. It didn’t look like he was in a rush, could she…?

“Wait,” she said. What was she doing? This was stupid, but she couldn’t just let him go, could she? Her mouth, as always, was faster than her brain, and she had managed to stop him just before he grabbed the doorknob. No point in turning back now

 

“Would you, uh, would you mind... drinking a cup of tea with me?"

Corvo put his hand down and looked back at her. Why did she want to talk to him? Did she find out about the arrangement? No, she couldn’t have. Only him, her father and the Duke knew- who else could have told her?

Still, he couldn’t say he minded her invitation, and even though he should be going back to the Duke, his curiosity overtook him. The Duke would understand, wouldn’t he? After all, getting to know the girl he would be protecting for the rest of his life didn’t seem like a bad idea.

 

A soft smile placed itself on his lips, “I’d love to”

 

The mixture of relief and joy on her face was immediate, though the nervousness didn’t seem to go anywhere. She returned the smile, not wasting time to pour him black tea in the unused china cup as he took his seat to the other side of the small table.

 

As he sat down, he realized this was the first time he was given an opportunity to get a good look at her face. She was a cute girl, that was for sure. Her lips were painted a soft red color that complimented her warm skin tone, while a pair of large, pale green eyes that reminded him of the color of early spring decorated her face right above soft cheekbones. Her black hair was tied in a braided ponytail that just reached a third of her shoulder, contrasting the white-and-gold outfit that she so elegantly wore.

 

Simply put, she truly did look like a young Empress.

 

He gladly accepted when she handed the tea to him, and only when the hot cup had placed itself on his dry lips was he reminded that he had forgotten to drink all day. Had he been so distracted? He watched as she took a sip, careful not to get too much lipstick on the brim and spilling a bit on her lap in the process. It took all his willpower to not chuckle as she cursed under her breath while dabbing the yellowish stain with a napkin

“So, uh, tell me,” She said, trying to take the attention off of herself, “what do you, well, do for the Duke?”

Corvo choked in his tea. Now it was Jessamine’s turn to chuckle.

“Me?”, He tried to keep a straight face, hoping she wouldn’t see right through his lie, “I’m his bodyguard, my Lady”

Jessamine looked up at him, a soft smile on her face, "You don’t have to call me that, y’know”, she said, shrugging her shoulders, “I mean, when no one is around, you can just call me Jessamine.”

Corvo paused a moment. This was the first time in his life that a nobility allowed him to call them by name, let alone ask him to do so. The fact that he had known her for such a short time added to his surprise, but he didn’t object. Jessamine, he whispered to himself, trying her name on his lips. He couldn’t explain why, but it fit her for some reason.

“Very well, Jessamine. Is there anything else you’d like to know?"

  
  
  


The two sat there for a while, her throwing questions and him answers back and forth as if they were playing a game of tennis. As usual, Jessamine tried to not her child-like curiosity get the better of her, but she couldn’t help it. She made him describe every detail about Karnaca, the capital of Serkonos, letting herself get lost in his words. Goodness, it was almost alien to her, the way he spoke about crystal blue water that lightly caressed the white sand, the way women would carry woven baskets on their heads filled with fruits she had never heard about in her life, how the red, purple and orange colors of a sunset sky would reflect off the sea, perfectly mirroring each one as though it was a mirror. Did such a place even exist? Dunwall tower suddenly seemed very, very plain to her.

 

Corvo, on the other had, felt… was comfortable the word? It was strange, how he didn’t hold back on anything, nor did he feel the need to watch his words in fear being judged by the noble in front of him. He didn’t expect to like Jessamine so fast, and after that ever so friendly encounter with Jax, it was nice to feel welcome with someone.

 

They were on their third cup of tea when they heard the doorknob click open.

 

“S’cuse me Jess, bu- Oh, pardon me, I hope I’m not botherin’ anything?” The maid asked, not even knocking on the door

The atmosphere in the room violently shifted. “Oh, well…” Jessamine trailed off, looking at Corvo, waiting for him- why him?- to give an answer. She had to have figured out that he wasn’t allowed to be here by now.

“Not at all,” he said, standing up from his chair, “I should be going now, either way”

He saw the look in her eyes, asking him to reconsider. In all honesty, he wanted to, but the Duke would have had his head if he stayed longer. “Thank you very much for the tea, My Lady”, he bowed.

 

Jessamine watched his every step as he sheepishly walked out the door.

 

When the two friends were left alone, Ellia stared at Jessamine in complete confusion.

 

“What in earth wus that ‘bout?”

  
“Nothing,” Jessamine said, sighing, “Absolutely nothing”


	4. Wait, what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, sorry for not updating in a long time. I’m writing this on three cups of coffee because I feel guilty- you guys have been giving me support while I’m, well, not writing. My computer screwed up and I had to get it fixed. I just got it back yesterday, and I hope it’s gonna be OK from now on. Thank you for your support, again!
> 
> Second, if you haven’t already, I’d recommend looking up a map of the Empire on the Dishonored wiki, just to get an idea of how the Isles look like. Anyway, on to the chapter!

“You look beautiful,” Euhorn said, giving his trademark smile as he traced his fingers softly over Jessamine’s cheek, moving a few loose hairs off her face to get a better look at his daughter. She tried to mimic his expression, letting the tune of his voice calm her down a bit. The mixture of nervousness and excitement had been stirring in her for a while now, refusing to let go no matter what she did. Within seconds, the gigantic, polished marble doors that separated her from the ballroom would open, exposing her to the guests.

 

Jessamine tried to ignore the notch in her stomach, and eventually found herself staring at her reflection that was painted on the smooth stone door. Outsider, she had never worn so many colors in her life. The clothing choice wasn’t a coincidence - Ellia had told her that she was to wear this to- _how did she put it?_ \- “honor the Serkonian culture”?

Those were, however, no doubt her father’s words.

 

Not that she didn’t love it, of course.

 

Her sleeveless dress looked like a sunset- staring at the bottom with bright shades of yellow, red and orange that splashed and intertwined all the way to her hips. There, the bright hues wove themselves with deep purples and blues that flew up to her collarbones, covering her from top to bottom. Over that, a jacket with the same design covered her shoulders and arms- in its inner pocket, the letter that Corvo had given her not long ago. Her simple, black hair was decorated with more ribbons than she could count, each of them with a unique color and texture that only added to her almost alien-like look.

 

She wondered if Corvo would be there. He should be- after all, he was the Duke’s bodyguard, so why wouldn’t he? He was just in the middle of telling her about all the kinds of dances the Serkonians were famous for when Ellia had interrupted them, and she’d made a promise to herself to find him again. Even though he didn’t quite look like the dancing type, she was convinced she could talk him into showing her one.

 

The chattering of guests, their glasses clinking and their shoes tapping to the rhythm of the music was abruptly silenced by the sound of trumpets.

 

 _“His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Euhorn Kaldwin, and Lady Jessamine Kaldwin!”_ the announcer roared, his voice booming through the room, making even Jessamine flinch.

 

The doors slowly pulled open, and Jessamine feet her knees lock in place. A smiling, colorful crowd that enthusiastically clapped was slowly revealed. _Why are there so many people? Ellia didn’t say there would be this many people. Did more show up? Wait, why can’t I move?_

 

She felt Jax slightly nudge her, reminding her that she didn’t have all the time in the world. _Ok, deep breaths. Calm down. You can do this. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. There you go. Alright, now smile and look up. They want to see you smile. Just pretend they aren’t there_

 

She looked ahead of her, and just as she’d guessed, there they were- Corvo and the Duke. Even from twenty feet away, Jessamine could tell that the Duke had already started his drinking, while Corvo looked downright frustrated. Still, she gave him a soft smile, and Corvo gave her one in return, while the Duke was too busy shoveling down food to do anything else.

 

Jessamine ever so ungracefully shuffled to the table, taking her seat as quickly as she could. Getting there wasn’t the most beautiful performance, but at least she hadn’t tripped and fallen on her face on the way there. It was a small victory.

 

She watched her father shake hands with the Duke, who had already managed to get slightly tipsy. Jax rolled his eyes, while Euhorn didn’t seem upset at all - but then again, he never did. The man was had perfected the art of masking his emotions. It took years for Jessamine to learn to read his face, and even then she wasn’t sure. She supposed it was yet another skill she’d have to learn, along with so many others.

 

Her father gave a short speech, over exaggerating his joy about the Serkonians being here, going on about how glad he was that they were joining them tonight and how he hoped that they were enjoying themselves in the “humble city of Dunwall”.

 

Humble. Of course.

 

Jessamine looked over at Corvo, who was gnawing on his lower lip. She could tell he was almost as nervous as her, but he was still covering it up twice as well with half the effort. Why would he be nervous? Sometime a noble woman would stop and stare at him for a moment, but he didn’t seem like the type that cared much about such things.

 

Jessamine spent the next hour or so playing with her food, occasionally glancing at the crowd with curiosity. Goodness, It was strange, seeing the people of Gristol and Serkonos mixed together in the same room like apples and oranges. Someone from outside the Empire wouldn’t have been able to guess that they were united under the same Emperor - hell, if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Jessamine would’ve had a hard time believing it herself. Still, it was comic watching the Gristolians trying and failing to dance to southern music, while the Serkonians seemed rather unamused at most of the things that Dunwall had to offer. They would never get along, that was for sure, but at least there was peace tonight.

 

Jessamine looked over to her father when he tapped on her thigh;

“Did you bring the letter?” he whispered, his voice deeper than usual

She nodded in return, putting one hand into her coat pocket and feeling the envelope’s sharp edge.

He pulled on his coat sleeves to straighten them, not removing his diplomatic smile “You didn’t read it yet?”

“No, no I didn’t”

“Good. You’ll read it for the guests now.”

 

_Wait, what?_

 

Her body tensed up and she felt her blood turn to ice. “Are you sure?” She protested, trying to sound calmer than she was.

“Excuse me!” Euhorn addressed the guests, completely ignoring Jessamine’s last question. His voice boomed through the room and everyone fell silent within moments. How does he do that?

“My daughter would like to deliver a short speech before we continue our evening.”

 

Yes, because they’d love to listen to another one

Euhorn looked over at Corvo, giving him a short nod as Jessamine hesitantly stood from her chair. She looked at his blue eyes, giving him a look he knew too well- What’s going on?

Truth be told, Corvo felt a bit of guilt for not telling her earlier. He wondered why the Emperor hadn’t told Jessamine beforehand- she didn’t seem like the spoiled sort of girl that would scream and shout at his decisions, and he couldn’t see any reason to hide it. Of course, he didn’t question why. Opposing authority only got you in trouble, and that was a lesson he learned the hard way.

 

He threw one last, mocking glance at Jax, who helplessly watched, undoubtedly pissed off.

Corvo loved it.

 

Jessamine pulled out the letter from her coat, taking a moment to look at it again. She broke the seal with her shaking thumbs, delicately pulling the letter out of it. She unfolded it slowly, looking at the blue letters and desperately trying to make them into words. _Calm down, calm down._

She swallowed hard, holding the pages of the paper a bit too hard. Jessamine took a deep breath and started;

 

_“I would like to-uh-thank you all for joining us on this wonderful evening. As of tonight, we, the people of Serkonos and Gristol, stand not as neighbors, nor as partners. No, we stand as brothers and sisters, all united under one rule, one crown. It warms my heart to see us together, welcoming each other with open arms. I hope our generosity towards each other is carried out through the future generations, and may we never forget our love for one another.”_

 

Yep, Euhorn wrote this.

 

_“I would like to thank the people of Serkonos for their trust and willingness. Together, we hope to lead the Isles to a brighter future, and a better tomorrow. You have placed all of your faith in us in these difficult times, and for that, we cannot thank you enough._

_In order to manifest our trust in the people of Serkonos, I, Jessamine Kaldwin the First, name the Captain of the Royal guard, Corvo Attano, to be my Royal Protector from today onwards.”_

  
Wait, what?


	5. As easy as I thought

Jessamine blinked a few times, making sure she had read the last sentence correctly. No, there wasn’t a mistake- his name stood there, written in the thick, dark blue pen her father so infamously used.

She slowly lifted her head to the the audience, waiting for an applause, but none came. Everyone was looking around the room, muttering to each other, trying to guess who this ‘Corvo Attano’ was, and why none of the Gristolians had heard of him before.

 

She tensed up as she heard Corvo’s footsteps behind her, watching the faces of the aristocracy turn completely sour. He put his right hand on his chest, giving the crowd a bow. Silence poisoned the room, making Jessamine’s heart almost stop. _Why would- no-how_ could _father do this?_

 

The silence poisoned the room was abruptly replaced by the sound of a man clapping, followed by joyful chuckling. Corvo jerked his head to the source, feeling his blood boil upon seeing the culprit. _Of course, who else would it be?_

His hypocrisy was unbelievable. Ariano hand given Corvo countless speeches about how to behave when he arrived at Dunwall, yet there he was, drunk off his ass, laughing as if he’d just been told the greatest joke he’d ever heard.

 

It took all the willpower Corvo had to not walk up to him and slap him back to his senses.

 

Hesitantly, a Serkonian followed the Duke, not sure of what else to do. A few others joined, and within a few moments the room was filled with Serkonian whistles and cheers, some of them even stomping their feet on the ground in joy of the wonderful news.

The people of Gristol, on the other hand, held expressions of confusion laced with disgust, their almost non-existent clap matching their faces perfectly. Jessamine didn’t even need to look up- she could feel their piercing glares jump between her father and her, demanding an explanation that neither of them gave.

 

Euhorn, however, seemed to pay little attention to them. He let claps and cheers go on, enjoying them while he could, before lifting a hand to request silence.

“I would like to thank Duke Ariano and Master Attano for agreeing to my proposal.” he started, acting as if he did not notice the discomfort that filled the room, “Corvo had made quite a name for himself at quite an early age, and I do believe that he will fulfil his duty with integrity and honor, as he always has.”

 

 _Honor? Integrity?_ He was from Serkonos, he didn't _have_ either of those- or at least that's what the Gristolians thought. Jessamine liked Corvo, she honestly did, but the only thing those aristocrat bastards cared about was heritage, and as far as they were concerned, her friend might as well be from the slums..

 

“You’ve got to be joking!” A voice shouted at her father as if on cue, “Who’s to say he can be trusted?”

 

Enthusiastic muttering that Jessamine could only guess ment agreement, followed.

 

“Master Brimsley,” He father said, a drop of annoyance in his voice, “Surely you’re not _disrespecting_ my judgement?”

 

“I’m believe he isn’t, your Imperial Majesty,” a woman added, “but you must understand why we’re questioning such a choice. After all, the man is Serkonian!”

 

A dark-skinned man banged his fist on the table, clenching his jaw, “And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

A few more Serkonians took his side, and soon the entire room was flooded with angry voices, everyone snapping and yelling as if they were at an auction. Jessamine swore she saw a woman spill her drink in a cream-colored man’s face soon after.

 

Jessamine watched the chaos unravel in front of her, feeling a lump block throat. _What do I do?_

"Are you alright?", a whisper came to her. She turned her head slowly, looking at Corvo, who had painted a worried expression on his face.

 

_No I'm not alright. My knees are weak and I feel nauseous and I just want to get away from these horrible people who are looking at me like a hungry dog looks at meat and they'll hurt you the first chance they get and maybe me too and Outsider what will they do to father and maybe he'll be able to calm them down and maybe he won't and I'm the future Empress so I should to know what to do but right now but I just feel so so confused and I can't-_

  


She took a deep breath, unable to say a word. She grabbed Corvo's hand, letting her delicate fingers intertwine with is cracked ones, squeezing them as hard as she could, trying to pour her frustration into it. More than anything, she needed a friend right now.

 

“Silece! _SILENCE!_ ” Her father roared, hitting his fist on the table, his face a burning red that showed no signs of fading away. Once again, the room fell silent, all eyes pointing at him

“I assure you that I most certainly would not assign anyone I deem unworthy to protect my daughter. You must understand that it’s hardly my wish for any harm to come to her, and I believe that Master Attano is quite capable of carrying out that responsibility.”

 

Jessamine squeezed his hand harder.

 

“Surely none of you question my judgement?” He asked again, knowing that no one would dare speak up this time. He waited a few moments, just in case, before finally continuing:

“Wonderful. I imagine that we owe our guests and apology for our behavior, and as far as this evening goes, I believe we are done.

 

“Corvo, please escort Jessamine to her quarters.” he said, rubbing his temples.

 

Corvo bowed to the Emperor, feeling a bit nervous himself. _He wouldn’t change his mind..._

 

_...Would he?_

 

Corvo didn’t need to tell Jessamine to follow him- she latched on to his arm the first chance she got, wrinkling his coat under her fingers, almost ripping it to shreds with her nails.

 

Jessamine looked at the ground as Corvo led her to the doors, not having the courage to look up. Murmurs of disapproval still flooded the room, and she felt as though she could hear every one. Some were for her father, some at Corvo, some at Jessamine herself. She didn’t relax even when the doors closed behind her, safely sealing her away from the crowd.

 

The two walked through the halls, neither of them knowing how to break the awkward silence. What _do_ you say after something like that? _I’m sorry for not telling you about how I’m going to be your Lord Protector for the rest of your life, wanna play a game of chess?_

 

The guards looked at them as they walked, raising their brows in confusion, blissfully unaware of what had happened not moments ago. Corvo didn’t care - what he cared about was the scared girl who was holding on to him for dear life, still soaking in what had just happened and desperately trying to make sense of it.

 

Corvo pushed Jessamine’s bedroom door open and escorted her inside. He watched her fall on her bed, letting out a sigh and putting her face in her hands.

He sat down next to her, waiting a few moments before putting an arm on her shoulder.

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright.”, he reassured her with a lie, hoping she’d find some comfort in it. It was a stupid thing to say, he knew, but nothing else came to mind, and just sitting in silence seemed, well, _wrong_.

She didn’t reply with words, but rather, she wrapped her arms around his torso and dug her head into his chest, trying to shut the world out. If she was crying, Corvo couldn’t tell, but the girl was undoubtedly downhearted.

 

He put his arms around her back, hugging her in return, knowing he could do nothing more.

 

_Maybe protecting you won’t be as easy as I’d thought._

 


	6. Braids and Dresses

Corvo leaned back on the gold-rimmed chair, relaxing his muscles and letting out a heavy sigh. This night, like all the ones before it, had been almost restless. When he hadn't been checking on the young Empress or wandering around her fairly large quarters, he'd caught a few winks of sleep on the velvet divan, or at least tried to. The lack of sleep was nothing new to him though, he'd familiarized himself with the pattern of waking up several times a night long ago. Add that to the crippling worry that cursed him since last night…

 _The Emperor wouldn't change his mind, would he?_ Euhorn was a smart man, he had to have known that the Gristolians wouldn't be overjoyed with Corvo's new position, but who could've anticipated such a negative backlash? The Emperor was right to end the party early - if it had gone on for ten more minutes, who could say what would have happened?

He leaned deeper into the chair and dismissed the thoughts - what use would it be worrying about it now?

Corvo looked on to the terrace, hoping to find peace in the fall landscape. The sun was just peaking over the otherwise dark, mountain-cut horizon, despite the clock telling him it was already past eight. Cold sunshine dipped into the room, staining the white walls with brilliant shades of gold, tangerine and deep red.

It reminded him of home.

In front of him him, the young Empress was still sleeping, firmly clutching on to her pillow. Corvo hoped she'd recovered from yesterday's unpleasant events, because he sure as hell hadn't.

Looking at her, he couldn't help but smile. What they said was true: people _did_ look years younger when they slept. The muscles in their face were at peace and their breathing slowed down, giving off such a peaceful sensation, the entire world seem that much calmer. Their only movement was the breath - letting their blanket-covered chests rise and fall in a perfect rhythm with a soft heartbeat.

Jessamine rolled over to face him, her shut eyes and nose slightly twitching. While tastes differ, few would object to calling her a beautiful girl. With her small features, rosy cheeks and monotone hair, she reminded Corvo of those fancy, expensive porcelain dolls you'd find in antique shops.

A lock of raven hair covered her left cheek. Corvo lifted a hand, tucking it behind her ear, only to regret doing so when Jessamine's eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, looking at him in a half-daze.

"Ugh…" she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, trying to wake herself. The right side of her face was a bright red, and the hair on the same side had flattened. She blinked a few times, sinking in the world around her.

"What time is it?" She yawned, extending her arms over her head and stretching them as far as they would go. Her hair fell over her face in an unneat fashion, pooling onto the crumpled blankets in a tangled mess like a waterfall.

"About half past eight" Corvo said, straightening his back.

_Oh, they let me sleep in._

She gave herself a few moments before throwing her legs off her bed, sweeping her long, thick nightgown with her. The dark circles under her eyes matched her hair perfectly.

"About last night..." she trailed off, still not fully awake, "What, uh, what happened after we left?"

Corvo shrugged his shoulders, wondering if he should help her up, "I wouldn't know, my Lady. I haven't left your room since"

"Jess."

"I'm sorry?"

"Call me Jess or Jessamine," She yawned, "Remember?"

"Right. Got it."

Jessamine sighed, putting her head in her hands. A few moments of silence passed until she collected her thoughts.

"I really don't wanna go out there." her voice was barely a mutter.

"Hey," Corvo put a finger under her chin, lifting it up so their eyes would meet. "Don't worry about it. If anyone says _anything_ to you, I'll throw them out a window. Deal?"

Jessamine lightly nodded and chucked. "Deal"

She sighed as if to exhale all her anxiety. She got up, dragging herself to the other side of her bedroom with a slouched back. Her nightgown whispered as it rubbed against the white marble of her floor, half-covered in black hair.

She sat down in front of a rather large, brass-rimmed mirror. A white, elegant table was placed in front of it, along with a chair of the same design. Jessamine opened one of the four drawers and pulled out her hair brush, then searched around for a purple tie. She was just about to untangle the dark mess of locks and hairspray when Corvo took it from her.

"Here, I'll do that." He positioned himself behind her, wasting no time as he took a bit of hair from her left side. He started at the tips and made his way up.

"You really don't have to-" Jessamine started.

"I insist."

She could tell from his tone it wasn't something he would argue about. Not that she would continue arguing, anyway.

He was careful not to pull it too much on her hair, taking his time with each and every lock. After a few minutes, when he had finally gotten Jessamine's hair back to its smooth, soft texture, he asked if she'd like a braid.

"A braid?" She raised a brow, "Since when do you know how to do a braid?"

Corvo took the ribbon from her table and put it between his lips. "Promise you can keep a secret?"

She placed a hand on her heart, put on a serious face and lifted her chin. "I, Lady Jessamine Kaldwin the First, daughter of Emperor Euhorn Kaldwin, solemnly swear on the Abbey of the Everyman, the Seven Strictures, the Outsider, and all that is holy that your secret shall be safe with me."

Corvo purposely tugged on a strand of hair, which made her yelp.

_Smartass_

He continued as if nothing had happened: "I used to have one before I came here, actually."

Jessamine put a hand over her mouth, trying to choke out her laugh. " _You_ had a braid? _You?_ "

"Don't laugh! I'll have you know that it's quite popular in Serkonos." He said with a touch of arrogance.

"What-" she continued laughing, "Next thing you'll be telling me you wore a dress!"

The Lord Protector scoffed. "Well maybe I _did!_ "

A few suppressed chuckles soon turned into a thick, rich laughter that filled up the room. Jessamine shook her head, almost embarrassed at her sudden outburst. Oh, how her father would've given her an earful if he'd heard that!

Their laughter died out soon enough, and a delicate silence followed. Strangely enough, it didn't seem awkward, but rather, almost comfortable. Jessamine enjoyed watching Corvo from her mirror, who seemed fully concentrated on perfecting her braid. His eyes darted from left to right, examining each and every lock of hers and deciding which one should go where.

"Why'd you cut it off?" Jessamine finally spoke.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your braid. Why cut it off?"

Corvo shrugged. "I was told it wasn't considered… appropriate in your customs." He took the ribbon from his teeth and tied it around the tips of her hair, "That, and the Duke insisted I looked like I was wearing a wet muskrat on my head. Here, you're done."

Jessamine looked at her fishtail braid, amazed how skillfully and quickly it had been done. It was beautiful to her, almost a work of art- she couldn't have done anything like this if her life had depended on it. She had just parted her lips to thank him when knock on the door interrupted her.

"Master Attano!" A deep voice called out. "Master Attano, are you there?"

 _Master Attano?_ Corvo raised a brow. _I could get used to that._

"His Imperial Majesty has requested has audience with you, My Lord. I'd recommend hurrying."

Corvo felt his muscles tense. _Here it comes._ "Of course, right away." he called to the door. The Lord turned to Jessamine and gave her a bow. "If you'll excuse me, My La- _Jessamine"_

The Empress smiled. She got up from her chair and made a deal out of curtsying to him, as if to mock his bow. "I thank you for the braid and hope to see you soon," She spoke as posh as she could, " _Master Attano."_

Corvo playfully rolled his eyes and shook his head, leaving behind the young Empress in her chambers.

As Jessamine watched Corvo leave, she thought about she hadn't had a chance to tell him how glad she was _he'd_ been chosen. If it had been someone like Jax, she would have very well lost her mind. Not that she hated her father's Protector, mind you. Simply, Jax was always so cold and serious, Jessamine felt like she might as well be talking to a rock. She'd heard him say "Yes, My Lady" so many times, it stopped sounding like a sentence.

Corvo hadn't been gone two minutes when Ellia walked into her room without knocking.

The brunette firmly closed the door behind her and ran over to her friend, giving her a long hug.

"Oh darlin'," Ellia took Jessamine's face in her hands, tracing her eyes over every inch of her face, "Are you 'right?" Ellia turned the girl's face left and right, then took her wrists and looked for any signs of imperfection.

"Better than I was last night, thank the- El, what are you doing?" Jessamine pulled her hands back.

The older girl looked her in the eyes, a worried expression on her face. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"What? _Corvo?_ " Jessamine stood up, knitting her brows. The question was so stupid she'd almost laughed. "Of course not! Goodness El, what's gotten into you?"

" _Me?_ " Ellia almost snapped at her, "Jess, we don't know that man! We've got not a reason t' trust him!"

Jessamine suddenly felt anger grip on her stomach. " _I_ trust him," her voice grew stern. When was the last time she'd spoken to her friend like this? "And that's _all_ the reason you'll ever need."

Corvo straightened his coat as best he could, cursing to himself for not changing out of last night's monkey suit. A guard had informed the Emperor of Corvo's presence, and he'd been waiting patiently to be called in. Though doubtful, Corvo hoped he'd be given good news.

The doors opened. Corvo had to stop himself from scowling at a guard who pushed him into the magnificent study.

It was a beautiful room to put it mildly. Perfectly symmetrical, it held a large, mahogany table with five identical chairs on each side. The walls were hidden behind bookcases, each filled with more literature than Corvo could read in a lifetime. He caught a few names written on the spines - everything from boat engineering to political documents written hundreds of years floor was made out of pleasantly brown wooden planks, almost identical to the shelves. On the other side of the room was a fireplace, filled with logs and flames that licked the cool air. Euhorn stood by the open windows, soaking in the view of a fresh fall morning.

He wore a dark blue coat and pants, both rimmed with a brilliant gold that matched the color of his hair. A white shirt was tucked into them, framing his figure perfectly.

"Master Attano," his voice was pleasant per usual, "I hope I haven't called you too early."

"Not at all, Your Imperial Majesty," Corvo placed his right fist over his chest, bowing to the Emperor. _I didn't sleep much either way_

"Wonderful to hear. Oh, where are my manners!" Euhorn clicked his tongue, "Care for a cigarette?

Corvo thanked him. True, he'd never been much of a smoker, but turning down Euhorn's offer could only be seen as rude. He took one out of the old case, observing it a moment before lighting it. The tobacco was a darker hue than the one back home, and smelled much more potent. In Serkonos, they always added some sort of aroma in it - anything from a sickening coconut to a fresh mint.

This one, however, was completely pure, tightly wrapped Gristol tobacco. If the Emperor noticed Corvo almost choking to death on his first breath, he didn't show it.

As expected, Euhorn made small talk with the newly appointed Lord Protector. The Emperor asked simple questions he could already guess the answer to: what Corvo thought of Gristol so far, if he'd ever been here before, if he'd had a chance to see much of Dunwall Tower (Corvo didn't dare mention he already memorized the tower's blueprints) and so on and so forth.

Why ask all these pointless questions? Corvo knew the answer all too well: they were nothing but diplomatic gestures. The cigarette, the pointless conversation - hell, him _being_ here was a game of politics.

Not that it bothered him, mind you. This 'game of politics' had gotten him appointed as the Lord Protector, so why complain?

Euhorn put out his cigarette and lit another. "I would like to apologize for the behavior of our guests yesterday," The air in the room siffened as he spoke. "You must understand how terribly embarrassed I was."

"It was to be expected, Your Majesty."

"I suppose." The blonde rubbed his hands together. "Still, it's not an excuse."

Euhorn looked out the window again, as if the solutions to all his problems were hidden where the dark blue sky met the rust-colored forest. Corvo could tell the man was distressed, and that was putting it mildly. There was no denying though, Euhorn did a magnificent job of hiding it. If it had been anyone else, The Emperor would have fooled them with ease.

Corvo, however, was another matter. Due to his former work, he'd learned to read body language and facial expressions all too well. Here and there, Euhorn's mask of confidence and pride would crack - he'd flinch his fingers, he'd twitch his eye, he'd bite on his cheek ever so delicately.

_People never know how bad they are at hiding their secrets_

"Alas," Euhorn continued, snapping Corvo out of his thoughts, "I assure you I have refrained from changing my decisions. Your position still stands."

Corvo tried to hide his sigh of relief.

"In your quarters, you will find a contract on your table. It contains the answers to any question you may have: the specifics of your new position, your salary, your general duties. Please, don't let it intimidate you. I assure you that signing it is nothing but a formality."

"Of course, your Majesty." Corvo bowed.

"I'll have someone escort you to her chambers. You may find all your belongings inside the chests by the bedroom." He extinguished his cigarette, "Thank you for joining me, Master Attano."

"The pleasure was mine, your Majesty." the Serkonian straightened. As was about to leave the study, the Emperor gave Corvo one last glance.

 _I took a gamble on you, Attano_ it said, _Don't let me down_

Of course. The second he'd seen the empty room, Corvo realized that the audience wouldn't be a matter of apologizing, nor would it be about informing the Lord Protector of his ' _general duties_ '. The Emperor could have easily sent anyone else to do it, so why have a face-to-face meeting about such nonsense?

Because this was about trust, and nothing _but_ trust. Ever since he'd arrived here, Euhorn had done one thing repeatedly: show the Gristolians he trusted Corvo enough to put both his and Jessamine's life in the hands of the Serkonian.

If the Gristolians gossiped half as much as the Serkonians, the whole tower would know about the meeting by the day's end.

Corvo let out a sigh. As expected, three guards positioned outside wasted no time circling the Lord Protector when he'd exited the room.

Walking him through the painting-filled and carpet-covered halls of Dunwall Tower, Corvo noticed the guards never strayed their eyes from him. What was the point of doing that now? If the Serkonian had intended to hurt anyone, he would have done it already.

The group halted in front of a large pair of doors. The guards opened them, letting Corvo inside and closing them as soon as he'd walked through.

His chambers had been much bigger than he'd anticipated. They consisted of a large foyer, a grand bedroom with an attached bathing chamber, a small dining room and a good sized balcony. The ceiling and walls in each room shifted into different shades of white, while the floors were all fashioned of the same light brown wood (save the bathroom, which was made from a white-veined red marble).

He counted the windows, twelve ( ten of which a man could fit through), the exits, one (plus the balcony if necessary), and the guards stationed in the garden area under his balcony, six (plus the two that kept shuffling outside of his door). He looked over his chambers once more, then two more times after than. When he'd mentally mapped out every twist, curve and corner of his his new home, Corvo fell down on his bed and gazed up at the ceiling.

_Lord Protector._

He chuckled.

_You did it, you crazy bastard. You did it._


	7. Cigars, masks, and swords

Sitting in a small, stuffy room in the west wing of Dunwall Tower, the Duke of Serkonos pulled out a fresh page from the stack of documents before him. Running his fingers through thinning hair, he let out a heavy sigh. The fire that had shielded him from the wind outside had dwindled to embers, it's red light slowly fading away into the darkness of the room. A cold grey light, choked out by smoke, seeped in through blue curtains and pooled on the carpet below. The brightest light, however, was an oil lamp positioned on his desk; old fashioned but appealing nonetheless, that gave just enough spark to let the older man read.

Ariano crushed cigar and read through the page again, then once more, until he was certain the document held no faults. Paperwork was a pain in the ass to put it mildly, and after yesterday's events, he'd had more than a lifetime's supply in front of him. The headache he'd earned from last night's drinking still hammered his skull, and hours later it still didn't show the slightest sign of going away.

He pulled out his cigar case, taking one from the far left. His cigars were kept strangely - the ones on the left side were always positioned upwards, the right ones always turned down. Those that were upwards were to be smoked first, and when they ran out, half of the remaining downward ones were to be turned up. He'd smoked like this ever since he could remember - something that had to do with luck, his father told him. The only downside was that the case had to be refilled when only one would remain - alas, a small price. He lit it, taking a long, frustrated drag, and leaning it in the ashtray. A cold breeze swept through the window, gliding through the lavish room and sending a spider-like chill down his spine. The Duke pulled his lime green collar to cover his neck and cursed. Drinking a sip from the sweating glass of water before him, Ariano dipped his pen in fresh ink and began to sign the paper.

"Sobered up, have you?" A voice came from the doorway. The Duke's hand jerked at the sound of it, scratching a thick line over the page and sending the inkwell flying off of the table. Dark blue bled into the carpet, leaving a noticeable stain that would take an hour of scrubbing to remove. Crumpling the paper and throwing it on the floor, Ariano threw his head into his hands and cursed under his breath.

"I have work to do," the Duke grumbled, trying to soften his headache by rubbing his temples. He looked up at Corvo, raising a brow. Attano's dark outfit had been exchanged for something much less intimidating - a blue overcoat with golden buttons, white pants and polished black boots. His set jaw and narrowed eyes were accompanied by swirls of uncombed black hair that stuck to his face at awkward angles, while his fingers tapped his arm impatiently.

"Lots of it." Ariano added sharply.

Corvo lifted his brows and pursed his lips. "Well, that's quite a shame," he said with an unnatural, hostile coldness. "Because we're going to have a talk. _Now_."

Ariano combed his upper lip with a set of unbrushed teeth, setting his pen down and lacing his fingers in front of him. His headache pounded harder with with the thought of what was to come. "Kid, if this is about last night-"

"Oh, it is. And you want to know why?" Corvo's clipped tone grew louder with every word. The Duke groaned. "Because you made a goddamned _idiot_ out of yourself! Clapping? Really?!"

Ariano drew another breath from his cigar. "What was I supposed to do?" he raised his hands in defense. "You saw their reaction! They were ten seconds away from a riot!"

"Yes, and on top of all that, you decided to get _wasted_?" Corvo tightened his grip on the edge of the table, his fingernails nearly leaving imprints on the wood.

"I don't understand why you're so upset," Ariano growled, "It's not like Euhorn changed his mind. Here, see? It says so, ah, it says so right here." he flipped through a few documents, pulling a paper out and sliding it across the table to Corvo.

Corvo scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. He grabbed the letter off the table and ripped the cream-colored document into quarters, throwing it on the floor. "I don't give two damns about the Emperor," He twisted his mouth and gritted his teeth, his voice a deep growl "You've spent the last _three weeks_ lecturing me on how to behave, yet you get drunk on the night of the announcement?"

"What do you _want_ from me?" Ariano leaned forward in the leather chair as voice grew to meet Corvo's, "To say that I'm sorry?"

"I want you to stop being a Goddamned hypocrite!"

"Everything turned out _fine_ ," the Duke said, his charred voice only growing rougher, "By the Outsider, calm down-"

"Calm down? I'll calm down when you stop drinking!"

"Don't you _dare_ talk to me like that, boy!" Ariano stood up, shaking a fat finger at Corvo.

"I don't have to listen to you anymore, remember?" Corvo gave a sour smirk, "You _gave_ me to the Emperor."

Ariano felt heat crawl up his neck and cover his face, flushing it a bright red. "How dare you talk like this to me! The _fucking_ audacity! After all I've done for you, you ungrateful _bastard!_ "

"How dare you make an idiot out of yourself! And me!"

"Oh, how I've dishonored you! I've made you the damn Royal Protector, how _could_ I!"

"You know what?" Corvo's voice shifted into a cold snarl, his heart pounding in his ears. "I don't even know why I came here." Despite it's weight, he shoved the table away from him, sending a stack of papers flying to the floor.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going!?", Ariano called when he was halfway out the door, debating on wether or not to throw his oil lamp at him.

"I'm going to the barracks." Corvo called behind him, not caring if the Duke could hear him or not, "If you need something for me, reconsider."

Jessamine rolled her peas from one side of her plate to the other, finding herself unable to eat a bite of her food. She discreetly watched her father from across the table as he cut off a piece of lamb, not lifting his eyes from his plate, pretending he didn't notice the uncomfortable air in the room. During the entire meal, he hadn't raised his head once, his nervousness skillfully covered by a mask of calmness.

Due to his position as the Emperor, Euhorn rarely had free time to spend with his daughter. His days were filled with meetings, his nights with fancy dinners, seldom was there time or space for a young Empress in his life. His solution was a simple one: at least twice a week, he'd decided, he would have a meal with Jessamine. Their meetings were relatively simple and brief - Jessamine would arrive at the previously agreed time, where her father would be waiting, and so, their superficial conversation would begin. It was a show they'd practised every week, a play that had long since been worn out of any meaning. The obligatory questions, the perfunctory answers. _How was your week, father? Busy, as usual. How are your lessons going, sweetheart? Quite well, thank you. Did you read anything new recently? No, father._

As the years went by, these meetings became less of an enjoyment and more of an obligation. She knew her father loved her, and she'd loved him very much aswell, but ever since her mother's death, the gap between them seemed to only grow deeper and larger. She could feel herself standing on the edge of an ever growing canyon, reaching out to him, calling his name as he moved farther and farther away, not hearing her, not seeing her. For every day that passed, she felt she knew him less and less.

Jessamine was the first to speak since the beginning of their lunch.

"You could have told me." Her voice was barely a whisper, yet Euhorn felt it had echoed through the room. He put his fork down and wiped the corners of his mouth, carefully choosing his next words.

"I'm sorry, buttercup" Her father, though his mouth was empty, swallowed hard. "You must understand, we couldn't run the chance of anyone discovering the arrangement."

Jessamine glared at her father, daring him to life his eyes from his food. _Is that all you have to say?_

"Not even me?" She said, trying not to raise her voice as balled fists wrinkled her dress. It was improper to speak back to your father, Jessamine knew very well, but something began to spark inside her. "I thought I'd have the right to at least _meet_ the person that's going to be around every second of the day for the rest of my life."

This brought his attention. Euhorn looked up her, his brows lightly pressed together. "Is Master Attano not to your liking, darling?"

Jessamine lightly blushed. "He is, very much actually, but that's hardly what I'm upset about." She narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling unusually brave. "Shouldn't I have the right to _know_ these things, father?"

"Jessamine, please understand," He pressed his lips together. "I did what I thought was best for you."

The young Empress felt something snap inside her. For the first time in many years, she felt very angry at her father.

"Are you going to marry me off to someone like this one day, because you think it's what's _best_ for me?" Her voice was not loud, though Euhorn felt it pierce right through him.

He tried not to squirm in his seat. "I don't think this is the time to talk about this." Euhorn said, sternly but not angrily, unable to find other words. Jessamine was much like her mother: she had never raised her voice at anyone, never spoke rudely to anyone, be it a diplomat or a servant - this behavior put the Emperor in quite a quandary.

"It never is, is it?" She asked, and despite not eating two bites of her food, wiped her mouth. "Thank you for the meal, father. I think I'll be going now."

"Jessamine, please-"

By the time Euhorn had called after her, she was already walking down the hall.

As she was leaving, she said a quick goodbye to Jax, who patiently waited in front of the doorway. Unusually frustrated, Jessamine made her way to the library. She didn't feel like reading, not at a time like this, but she was desperate to go to a place where she wouldn't be found. Yesterday the guests, today her father, even Ellia who might as well be her _sister_ \- it seemed as though everyone wanted to upset her. Why is it that everyone always thinks they know the best for others? Are people truly so incapable of taking care of themselves? Right now, she needed peace more than she needed air.

Just as she was about to walk down the staircase, she cast a view out the window. Below her were the barracks, and on an unusually chilly day such as this one, the training grounds tended to be empty. Wait, who was that? She walked closer to the window, rubbing off the fog that clung to the glass for a better view.

She lifted her brows. Corvo? Well, it wasn't much of a surprise - he was a soldier after all, why wouldn't he be training? Jessamine leaned on the window, watching her Lord Protector with great curiosity. She'd been told countless times it was rude to spy on others, but was this really _spying_? After all, it wasn't as if he was alone in his room; he was in the barracks - a very public place, after all. He must know that people could see him, including her. Yes, Jessamine decided, what she was doing certainly wasn't spying.

Standing a good distance away from the training dummies, Corvo took a moment to soak in the world around him. His eyes, now slanted, just peaked over a navy shawl that wrapped around his face and draped around his neck like an afterthought. Slowly, he placed his right foot forward. One second passed, then two. In moment, he'd reached for the two knifes that rested at his sides, sending them hissing through the cold air. The blurs of black cut through the landscape, lodging themselves in the heads of the dolls, which in return, slightly jolted backwards.

Corvo did this once again. And again. And again. It was almost like a dance, how precise it was, how elegant. No miscalculated throws, no faulty steps, no hesitation. Just him, his weapon, his target, his breath. It was more beautiful than watching the pretty, rich, aristocratic girls dance the waltz in their pastel dresses and sparkling jewelry. She'd found herself mesmerized, unable to tear her eyes away.

And at that moment, a lightbulb went off in Jessamine's head.

Walking inside the barracks and taking off his coat, Corvo laid down on one of the benches, listening to the soft wood creak under his weight. Still somewhat restless from the argument with Ariano, he was thankful the room was empty. He was right to leave - if he hadn't thrown knives at the sparring dummies, he would have ended up throwing them at one of the diplomats. Sparing, he'd figured out, was the best way to clear his mind. He couldn't help it, it was a habit charred into his being, honed from an early age. He'd been what, almost seventeen when he'd begun to work as an officer? Even then, he'd found adjusting to his new life difficult. Seventeen years of growing up in the slums, hoping his father would find work so he could feed his family. Seventeen years of fighting with all sorts of street filth, learning how to throw a man onto the ground and knock him out before his buddies could land a punch on you. Seventeen years of his sister and him splitting the food they'd stolen after running away from merciless guards. Seventeen years of fighting to survive - he couldn't just take it off like a sock afterwards.

Life may have been hard back then, but in his heart, the slums of Karnaca would always be home.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps echoing off the stone walls. He immediately shot up, reaching for the knife hidden in his boot. Had Ariano come to apologize? Goodness, no, as if the man would ever do that. These footsteps belonged to someone much smaller. A guard? No, even smaller. Someone like…

"Jessamine?" Corvo lifted a brow as he slid the weapon back into its sheath, hoping she hadn't noticed it. There the girl stood, her braided hair wrapped into a bun, a white, slightly too baggy tunic hanging over her torso, and underneath, leather boots and loose pants.

She took a deep breath, trying to remember what her first teacher had taught her about speaking to people. Head up, shoulders back, voice clear. "Corvo," She took a deep breath, "I want you to train me." Jessamine said with pride, which is why she wanted to slap him when he chuckled.

"Train you?" He echoed, making sure he'd heard her well.

"That's right. I want you, Corvo Attano, to be my new teacher."

He laughed. "Dare I ask what happened to the old one?"

"Har har. There never was an old one." She said, finding herself unwillingly smiling, if only slightly.

He crossed his fingers in front of him. "Can I ask why in the Outsider's name a young lady like yourself wants to learn to fight?"

There were certain times when a lady is permitted to act not-so-ladylike. Jessamine felt this was one of those times, and stuck her tongue at him. "Why on Earth not?"

Corvo knew he could not deny an Empress, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease her. "And if I refuse?" He asked, raising his brows.

"Then I'll pout." Jessamine teased back, crossing her arms, "And you'll have to live the rest of your life as the man who made me pout."

Corvo chuckled, running his fingers over his jaw. The idea was ludicrous. If he'd gotten caught teaching the Empress how to hurt a man, he would be stripped of his new title and sent on the first ship back to Serkonos - if he was lucky, that is. The thought of spending his life in a prison cell - closed between four walls, nowhere to move, getting two meals of slob a day - was less than appealing to him.

Eh. He'd done worse.

"Okay, _hypothetically_ , suppose I do begin to train you." He said slowly, carefully, though Jessamine seemed already very (if happily) impatient. "Where would we even do it? I suppose I don't have to tell you why the barracks wouldn't be a good idea."

Jessamine's face lit up. "There's a place in the garden that I used to go to with my mother," She said, if a bit sheepishly, "It's blocked off by an old wall now, but it's low and easy to climb, so sometimes I still go there. I don't think anyone visits it anymore, too. We can train there!"

Corvo looked at her a moment, a soft smirk on his face. Her green eyes we full of excitement, her thin hands balled into fists. "You really want to do this, don't you?"

Jessamine's smile grew wider. "Of course!"

He paused, carefully considering what to do next, weighing out his options. WIthout saying a word, he picked up two swords from the racks and handed the smaller one to the girl. Giving her a pat on the shoulder, he led her out of the barracks.

"C'mon." He said, "Let's see what this place of yours is like."


End file.
